Flexible conduit



A. E. BRICKMAN May 1, 1951 FLEXIBLE CONDUIT Filed Dec. 27, 1948 provide la conduit having Patented May 1, 1951 UNITED STA TENT OFFCE FLEXEBLE CONDUITE Application December 27, 1948, Serial No. 67,489

(Cl. 13S- 58) 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a iiexible conduit and more particularly to flexible conduits for brake control cables. Various types of conduits have been provided for this purpose. For example, the patents to Brickman llos. 2,046,545 and 2,074,770 disclose similar conduits and the patent to Brickman No. 2,092,330 discloses the use of such conduits with brake controls. These conduits nave fittings at the end thereof and the conduits tend to fail due to fatigue at the point that the fittings are joined to the conduit.

It is therefore an object of my invention to increased fatigue strength at the joint between the fitting and conduit.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following Specification and attached drawings, in which: Y

Figure 1 is a view, partly in section, of the oonduit of my invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the terminal fitting fastened to the conduit; and

Figures 3 yand 3a when taken together show a brake cable assembly embodying my invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 indicates the flexible conduit of my invention. In making the conduit, a flat hard rolled wire l is spirally wound to provide a hollow member or tube through which the brake cable passes. A jacket t is then extruded or strip insulated on the member d in the usual manner. This jacket may be made of rubber, neoprene, nylon or other flexible thermoplastic material. The rubber covering is then stripped away from the end of the conduit and helically wound coil spring S is placed over a portion of the rubber covering and also over the barcd portion of the conduit as shown in Figure u. A fitting iii is then die cast over the bared portion of the tube and over that rpart of the spring 8 which extends around the bare-d portion. 1t will be noted that the coils of the spring are closely spaced at the point where the fitting li abuts the covering lThe spring 8 extending from the die cast terminal fitting lil along the outside of the rubber covered conduit serves as a vibration damper, thus greatly increasing the fatigue strength of the conduit. A similar fitting is provided at the opposite end of the conduit.

Figures 3 and 3a show a brake cable i2 passing through the conduit 2. The cable E2 is provided with a threaded fitting lll at one end thereof connected to actuating mechanism (not shown) and a fitting l at the opposite end thereof connected to the brake. A rubber sleeve I3 is fastened to the fitting lli adjacent the tting lil and closely surrounds the cable I2 to provide a shield for excluding dirt and the like. Fastened to the other fitting l0 is a bracket 20 which is attached to the brake drum (not shown). A spring 22 surrounds the cable i2 between the fitting l5 and bracket 2li. The spring 22 is compressed when tension is applied to the cable i2 and forces the cable I2 in the opposite direction when tension is released.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be app-arent that.

other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

l. A flexible conduit comprising a metallic core, a flexible jacket surrounding said metallic core for a portion of its length, a cast metallic fitting surrounding the end of said metallic core, and a coil spring surrounding the flexible jacket adjacent the fltting with one end of the spring being embedded in the fitting, the embedded coils of said spring being radially spaced from said metallic core with the metal of said iitting extending under and around said embedded coils.

2. A flexible conduit according to claim l in which the coils of the spring are closely spaced at the point Where the fitting abuts the -iiexible jacket.

3. A ilegible conduit comprising a spirally wound metallic core, a flexible jacket surrounding said metallic core for a portion of its length, a cast metallic fitting surrounding each end of said inetalliccore, land a coil spring surrounding the flexible jacket adjacent each iitting with one end of the spring being embedded in the fitting, the embedded coils of said spring being radially spaced from said metallic core with the metal of said iitting extending under and around said embedded coils.

4. A flexible conduit according to claim 3 in which the coils of the springs are closely spaced at the point where the fitting abuts the flexible jacket.

ALAN E. BRICKMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNrTEn STATES PATENTS 

